


Revelations

by Ismene_Jane



Series: Seven Days of Fandoms [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, Billy Hargrove Needs a Hug, Billy Hargrove Redemption, Canon-Typical Violence, Cliffhangers, Conversations, El and Steve centric, Fix-It of Sorts, Good Parent Joyce Byers, M/M, Mentions of Death, Neil Hargrove Being an Asshole, Pre-Slash, References to Panic Attacks, Steve Harrington Angst, Steve Harrington Whump, please let me know if I missed anything, references to violence, steve finds out some stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-28
Updated: 2020-04-28
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23898160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ismene_Jane/pseuds/Ismene_Jane
Summary: El has been acting strange around Steve ever since Starcourt and Steve doesn't get why.orEl gives Steve some much-needed information.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington, Eleven | Jane Hopper & Steve Harrington, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Steve Harrington & The Party
Series: Seven Days of Fandoms [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1721155
Comments: 10
Kudos: 179





	Revelations

**Author's Note:**

> This is really about Steve. Billy doesn't show up in person in this fic at all so if that's what you're looking for, it's not heeeeeere. Also Steve is Sad because I can't seem to come up with Stranger Things fic ideas where Steve doesn't get to be Sad. I fix it, I promise.
> 
> Also this is my first foray into this fandom, so be kind. I've already got like 5 more fics I wanna write for these crazy kids. <3

El has been acting strange around Steve ever since Starcourt. Ever since Billy Hargrove had stood his ground between a little girl he’d never known and a monster made of people and (it turns out) his own nightmares. Ever since the only good father figure El’s ever had was obliterated to close the gate. 

Steve doesn’t think it’s that surprising that she’s acting weird, it’s only surprising because she’s reserving her weirdness for  _ him _ , and he can’t figure it out.

The party has all basically been puppy piled together since That Night, barely separating even to sleep. Joyce did whatever badass thing she always does and said  _ something _ to the rest of the parents to explain why they needed to always be together. The parents relent shockingly easily, and they spend most of their time at Joyce’s or Steve’s. 

To be honest, Steve thinks it’s easier because Neil Hargrove has just...disappeared. No one knows if he was part of the flesh monster, or if he died in the fire, or if he just high-tailed it out of there the moment Billy was dead, or if Susan kicked him out, or any other explanation. They’ve spent a good deal of time hypothesizing, but no one knows and Susan isn’t talking. 

“The only thing she says is that he’s not coming back,” Max mumbles two nights after That Night. The Party goes quiet instantly, a feat considering how loudly Dustin and Mike have just been screaming at each other. Max’s eyes lock onto Steve’s. “He’s not coming back.” 

“Okay,” Steve soothes, sending a glare at Dusty when he opens his mouth to argue. “We’ll leave it at that.” Because he’s a fucking GREAT babysitter, thanks so much, and he can tell when one of his kids needs a break. 

He looks over and finds El just staring straight at him. The same odd expression on her face that’s been there ever since That Night whenever her eyes are on him. She looks sad, hesitant, and thoughtful all at once. He smiles at her and one side of her mouth lifts up in response. He’s curious but figures she’ll come to him when she’s ready. Because he is (as previously stated) a GREAT babysitter. 

***

It happens just a week after That Night. The Party has puppy piled at Steve’s house, Robin included, watching Blade Runner (Steve had objected, saying it wasn’t appropriate, and he’d gotten six flat looks for his trouble. “Dude,” Dustin intones, “Nothing could make the nightmares worse at this point.” Steve sees even Will nodding in agreement and knows he’s overruled). 

El taps his shoulder softly from where he’s sprawled on the floor in front of his giant TV, and he looks up at the same expression on her face. 

“What’s up, kiddo?”

  
El’s eyes dart away briefly, to Max of all people. Steve follows her gaze and is further surprised when Max nods her head to some silent question. El turns back and offers a hand to help Steve stand. “Can we talk?” she asks, hushed. 

“Sure thing,” Steve replies immediately, taking her hand and pulling himself up. “Robin’s in charge, dumbasses!” he says, immediately getting angry retorts for him to shut up. “Let’s go outside, yeah?” He says to El. 

They slide open his back door and make their way to the pool. Steve’s always wary out here, especially at night, but he tries to hide his discomfort. El notices of course, she’s too observant by half even without her powers. 

“They’re gone,” she says in her soothing voice. “The gate’s closed. It’s safe.” 

Steve breathes deeply and nods. “I know, squirt, I’m sorry.” 

“No need.” She squeezes his arm and sits on the grass. It’s a beautiful summer night and Steve can’t help but marvel that it’s only been a week since That Night. It feels like a year or a lifetime. 

“So what’s up, buttercup?” He asks, tousling El’s hair.

“Dork.” She admonishes, but with a smile. “I have to tell you something. It’s… not bad. But I didn’t know if I should and Max said yes so…” 

Steve’s brow creases in confusion and worry. “Does it have to do with why you’ve been off with me lately?” 

Her eyes widen dramatically. “You noticed?” 

“Come on kiddo,” he says with a huff. “I know I’m a moron but I’m a moron with  _ eyes _ .” 

  
El pinches his arm, hard. “ _ Not _ a moron,” she says firmly. 

Steve gasps, playing up the pain with an “OW!” while El rolls her eyes at him, waiting for him to say, “Okay, sorry. Not a moron.” 

“Friends don’t lie,” she intones, gravely. “And friends don’t let their friends be mean to themselves.” She scoots closer to Steve, laying her head on his shoulder. 

It took him some time to get used to this: How tactile El and some of The Party are. He’s been so used to not being touched that for awhile he would start shaking if one of them cuddled up to him or hugged him too long. Max and El noticed and suddenly they’d all been all over him constantly. He loves it, makes him feel calm and warm inside. He rubs her back, adjusting to let her lean on him more firmly.

“So you gonna tell me, or…” 

She sighs. “Yes. It’s just, words are hard, sometimes.” And boy does Steve get  _ that _ , so he gives her time. They sit comfortably, and he enjoys the sibling time he’d never had before. 

Finally she says, “It’s about Billy.” And Steve freezes. “Billy and you.” 

Steve’s heart starts going a mile a minute. “Okay,” he breathes, trying to pretend he’s not freaking out. “What about Billy and me?” 

El takes her head from his shoulder and turns to face him, sitting so their crossed legs touch. He takes the comfort offered and waits. 

“When he was…” her brows furrow as she looks for the words. “Fighting the monster. But not with his hands, with his head.” She looks to Steve for confirmation, and he nods, understanding what she means. “He thought of his mom, but he thought of you, too.” 

Steve’s breathing picks up and he shuts his eyes. The panic hits him at weird times, but he knows this feeling. The feeling of building up to an attack. He hangs his head and breathes, trying to regulate himself. He suddenly feels El’s hands in his. 

“That night,” she continues. “At Will’s house. His dad had hurt him.” Her hands squeeze his hard, and her voice goes stony. “His dad hurt him a lot. And he was scared, and mad, but he wasn’t mad at you.” 

Steve’s crying now, he can feel it. Billy had left him alone after that night, like Max asked him to, but he’d caught the other boy staring at him at times. And Steve always thought he was going even crazier than he knew he was because it seemed like the emotion in Billy’s eyes was… sadness. Or regret. And he’d wondered, off and on, what it would be like if he just tried to talk to Billy. But he was scared, and hurt, and didn’t know how. 

And now here they were. And Billy was dead. And he’d never have the chance. 

“Steve,” El says, leaning closer. “The last thing he thought about before he turned to the flayer was you. He was so sad, and it felt like…” 

Steve looks up at her, through his tears. “Like what?” he whispers, terrified.    
  
She moves even closer and puts her hands on his face. “Like love,” she says, just as quiet. “It felt like how I feel when I look at Mike, or Joyce, or Max, or…” her voice cracks. “Hopper.” They’re both crying now, and Steve pulls her into his lap like she’s a little kid, and she buries her face in his shoulder. “I have to tell you--” 

“What, kiddo?” He manages, feeling like he’s the one who’s been flayed. “You can tell me.” 

El takes a deep breath. “The last thing he thought before… before he was gone, was your name. He thought about you, and said ‘sorry’ and then he was gone.” 

Steve breaks. So many thoughts fill his head, of boys pulling girls’ pigtails and how Billy never stopped looking at him and how lonely he’d always been, and how no one ever  _ saw _ him, and how he never asked. He never talked to Billy. He never saw how bad he was being treated by that  _ asshole _ and he hadn’t saved him, he hadn’t saved him.

He cries harder than he’s let himself cry since That Night. El’s whispering “I’m sorry” over and over and he wishes he could assure her he’s alright; but he’s not. He hadn’t known. And now Billy--brave, stupid, beautiful Billy--was gone. He was gone. And Steve was alone again. 

He lets it all out, all of his despair at no one ever loving him, no one staying for him, needing him. 

“No.” El says, putting her hands back on his face and forcing him to look at her. “We need you. We’d be gone too, without you.” 

Steve rests his forehead against hers. “Thanks, kiddo, I need you brats too.” It has the intended effect and they both chuckle before Steve rears back, eyes wild. “Wait! You heard me thinking!?” 

El’s eyes get impossibly wide. She lights up like a sky full of fireworks. “I did!” She exclaims, smiling wide even with tears still running down her cheeks. They both jump up in excitement and run back inside. 

In the melee that follows, Steve forgets to be heartbroken about Billy and the revelation El had smacked him in the face with. The Party are beside themselves with joy at El’s renewed powers and they stay up late, eating junk food and letting themselves feel happy for the first time since That Night. 

  
Steve falls asleep with Robin’s head on his stomach and Dusty’s head on his arm cutting off the circulation to his wrist, and he sleeps better than he has in ages. 

***

Steve jerks awake in the morning, brought back to consciousness by El’s gasped breaths. He pushes Robin and Dusty off of him and scoots over to crouch down where she’s sitting up, back ramrod straight. He grasps her shoulder and shakes her a bit. 

“Kiddo! What happened?” 

She turns her head to gaze at him. “I found them,” she says, a kind of awed terror in her voice. She grabs Steve’s hand as his heart begins to pound. “Billy and Hopper, they’re alive.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos would be amazing!


End file.
